The Way I Danced With You
by FerryBerry
Summary: Set directly after 2x20 "Prom Queen." Quinn's unseen song. Faberry.


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. All belongs to _Glee_ writers and creators.

**A/N:** I have so many Faberry feelings I'm even writing stuff I'd normally never consider.

Title from 'Careless Whisper', obviously.

**Spoilers:** 2x20 "Prom Queen"

**The Way I Danced With You**

A few hours ago, Quinn was absolutely positive she wouldn't have been nervous about getting up on that stage in front of her peers and belting the song Mr. Schuester had assigned to her. Well, belting was a loose term, considering the 'sweet delicacy' of her voice, as Rachel put it when they were working on their mash-up duet.

She flinched just at the thought of the other girl, and not for the reasons she had a couple years ago. She couldn't help it. Every time her eyes flickered over to her now—which was fairly often, as Rachel was not-so-subtly making a point of staying near her, like she was keeping an eye on her or something—or she had a thought including her—which was more than fairly often, if she was being completely honest—that moment replayed in her head. That moment when she spun completely out of control, let the fury that had been building since the moment she read a plus sign two years ago on the cheapest pregnancy test on the shelf out, and took it out on someone. Hit someone.

And not just someone. _Rachel_.

She had looked so shocked. Rightly so, of course, but what struck Quinn the most in the memory was just that look in her eyes as she had searched her own hazel. It wasn't anger or betrayal or tears or anything else she might've expected. She had just looked hurt. And though understanding flooded her expression, overtaking all other emotion, and she had forgiven Quinn as easily as if she had only borrowed something without asking or…God, like she was just trying to give her a high five and missed, well…it made Quinn feel physically sick to her stomach to remember it.

And now she had to get up on stage, feeling like this, and sing a song that yesterday didn't really hold much meaning to her, but now it was all she could think about as she stared up at the stage with a clenching stomach and fidgeting, clammy hands. She didn't know if she could do it. She wasn't brave, not like people thought she was. Not like Kurt was.

Quinn took a deep, shuddering breath when she felt hands on her shoulders. She felt herself tremble from the surprise of it, but she was trembling for entirely different reasons when she felt hot breath wash her neck and a sweet, encouragingly bright voice whispered in her ear, "You'll be great."

And then the hands gave her a little push and she stumbled forward and before she knew it, she was staring cross-eyed down at the bedazzled microphone everyone had begged Rachel not to touch—to no avail, obviously. Movement in the crowd caught her eye as Rachel hurried back to one of her three dates, Sam welcoming her with a bright smile and open arms that the brunette easily swept into. But her eyes went up to Quinn on stage, and her smile was for her.

Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to nod at the band to begin, and she closed her eyes, counting through the beats as the saxophonist belted the familiar tune behind her. She swayed her hips in rhythm to aid her stumbling brain. She was almost positive she had forgotten the lyrics, but when she finally finished counting, her eyes snapped open and she found Rachel and it all came flooding back as she sang, tentatively.

_I feel so unsure_

_As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor_

_As the music dies, something in your eyes_

_Calls to mind a silver screen and all its sad goodbyes_

She felt herself start to shiver from the repeated recollection, that hurt in Rachel's eyes—making this song so terribly applicable—even as her voice gained momentum and strength. It was weird, hearing her amplified voice come back to her from the speakers, but she pushed past it and focused on the brunette on the dance floor, unable to tear her eyes away, just as Rachel had been unable to look away during '_Jar of Hearts_.' Quinn had to remind herself it was Finn she was looking at, not her.

Even if Quinn's song was for her, that didn't mean Rachel had reciprocated.

_I'm never gonna dance again_

_These guilty feet have got no rhythm_

_Though it's easy to pretend_

_I know you're not a fool_

She didn't know when exactly when Rachel realized she had been staring, all she knew was that the brunette wasn't looking away, even as Sam swayed her on the dance floor. Her attention remained on Quinn, watching her open herself up on stage, in front of everyone, as Rachel was brave enough to do every day, but Quinn had only been brave enough to do to Rachel. And not even that was entirely willingly. It just seemed to happen around her…maybe it was the fact that Rachel seemed to know her more intimately than the rest of the world, seemed to see right through all her bullshit.

Even when Quinn treated her like a stupid schoolgirl.

_I should have known better than to cheat a friend_

_And waste a chance that I'd been given_

_So I'm never gonna dance again_

_The way I danced with you_

It amazed her that after everything…Rachel still forgave her. No matter how Quinn had wronged her, she always came back with a smile and an offer of friendship. One that was usually shoved back in her face. Tonight was probably the first night she hadn't received the burn of rejection from Quinn, and she was ashamed to say it was likely only because she'd slapped her. It had certainly opened her eyes. To what she'd become, to what she was missing out on, everything.

She locked gazes with Rachel, trying to communicate telepathically or just somehow, that things were different now. Things were going to change, because Quinn would never go down that road again.

_Time can never mend_

_The careless whispers of a good friend_

_To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind_

_There's no comfort in the truth, pain is all you'll find_

Though she knew that even this unspoken promise wasn't enough to make up for the past. For the insults, the slushies, the pornographic drawings. For physically harming her. She wasn't sure anything she did could ever truly make up for past transgressions, even the painful truth behind them.

If Rachel knew…she could only imagine her reaction. Shock, disgust, anger. All three were the reactions Quinn herself had to it. She could hardly believe that anyone with feelings like hers could behave the way she had toward the object of those feelings. It was best Rachel never knew, no matter how much it would pain Quinn to continue her self-imposed isolation.

_Tonight the music seems so loud_

_I wish that we could lose this crowd_

_Maybe it's better this way_

_We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say_

No matter how much she wanted to be alone with Rachel again, the way they had been in the bathroom, when the brunette's eyes had only been for her as she took care of her so gently. Perhaps it had only been her makeup, her tears, but Quinn had never felt more cared for, never safer—except from herself. She still wanted so much to blurt out…well, everything.

How sorry she was, how much she envied Rachel for her happy family life, her set future. How much she wanted to share that future with her.

All she'd been able to do was lean into every gentle touch and bite her cheek hard.

_We could have been so good together_

_We could have lived this dance forever_

_But now who's gonna dance with me?_

_Please stay_

Quinn was horrified to realize she wasn't able to tear her eyes from Rachel even as she sang out this verse, as she'd been intending to. Her eyes didn't want to take in anything else but the beautiful girl cradled in Sam's arms, the girl who was giving her hands to Sam and her attention to the blonde baring her heart on stage. So all she could do was own it, to let the tears rise up in her hazel eyes, to show the ache she felt at knowing she would not only never be able to have what she so desperately wanted—more than Prom Queen, more than a chance out of Lima—but that she had quite possibly just scared Rachel away for good with her more-than-obvious proclamation.

_Now that you're gone_

_Was what I did so wrong?_

_So wrong that you had to leave me alone?_

She wasn't exactly sure what Rachel was doing, but the closer the band came to a close, the more nervous she became. Her hands were trembling again and her palms felt dry and sweaty all at once as she watched the diva gently extricate herself from Sam and stride back toward the stage, where Quinn would have no choice but to step off. She swallowed hard, hoping it would shove down the fear rising in her gut, but in vain.

She waited out the applause, watched Mercedes coming up for another turn at the mic, and turned to face what she was sure would be her doom. Rachel's expression was completely unreadable and it was frightening. Usually she was like an open book, and it was something Quinn truly enjoyed about her. Not only was she easy to read, but she wasn't afraid of it, either. She didn't mind that people knew exactly how she felt at all times.

The feeling was a little too frightening for Quinn at the moment, so she highly doubted she would be doing anything like this ever again.

She probably could have dodged Rachel, just walked away and went to dance with some other glee club member, but the girl was relentless. She'd find her, corner her, some way, somehow tonight if she really wanted to talk to her. So she stepped up to the brunette waiting for her just off the stage, facing the firing squad with so much fear she refused to show. Well, aside from her shaking hands.

Rachel shifted closer, stealing Quinn's breath away with the heat of the sudden proximity, and she said nothing, but her hand lifted and Quinn flinched, so sure she was going to finally get what she deserved from the beautiful little diva. Payback she deserved.

But then there was only a whisper of a touch ghosting along her temple, along the ridge of her ear as soft fingers tucked a strand of wild hair away. Quinn felt herself shudder and knew Rachel probably saw it, at the very least, with her nearness. And then a full, warm palm cupped her cheek, thumb swiping along the bone beneath, and Quinn's eyes snapped open in surprise, only widening when she saw how much closer Rachel had gotten, her warm breaths ghosting over Quinn's own lips as she arched up on her tiptoes and, just as before, whispered three words:

"Dance with me."


End file.
